Expect Students to be ready for class when the bell rings.

• Play music to signal that your classroom demands different behaviors than the hallway.
• Always locate bell work instructions in the same place.
• The Pennsylvania State Education Association describes (http://www.psea.org/teacher.aspx?id=5379) a novel way for students to sign into class. "Write each child's name on a strip of tag board, laminate it, and glue a magnet to the back. Each day, post a question and possible answers on a whiteboard. Students can 'sign in' by placing their magnets in the appropriate answer column."

Bell Ringer Activities can include:

1. Start with a poll - use sites like PollEverywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com/) or Socrative (http://www.socrative.com/) or Extreme Collaboration on SMART boards (http://smartboardsmarty.wikispaces.com/Extreme+Collaboration+with+Notebook+11) with internet-ready devices such as cell phones, tablets, or computers; or use clickers with an Interactive Whiteboard (SMART boards, Promethean Boards, etc.)
2. Journaling
3. Lateral Thinking puzzles
4. Create or complete a concept map
5. Logic puzzles/crossword puzzles
6. Post-it note twitter boards or actually Tweeting
7. Complete jigsaw puzzles with info from the previous day or to introduce concepts for that day - Break the content from the last lecture into four or five sections. Take the key points from each section and make them into jigsaw puzzles, one puzzle for each section, with five or six pieces per puzzle. Jumble the pieces and give a set of puzzles to each group of students. Make each set of puzzles on a different color of paper and put the jumbled pieces in a Ziploc bag. Each group completes all the puzzles. See more at: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-classroom-management/creative-ways-to-start-class-getting-students-ready-to-learn/#sthash.7paQob0q.dpuf
8. Cut out sentences or pictures and have students put them in order to complete a sequence of events
9. In geometry, cut out the steps/parts of a proof and have students put them in order to complete a proof
10. In algebra, give students an answer and have them create equations that have that answer
11. Grammar activities - correct or add punctuation in a paragraph/page of information/directions for solving a problem
12. Finding and correcting “student work” with mistakes
13. Solving mysteries or treasure hunts given clues - TruthorFiction, Hoax Busters and Snopes and for a twist, use QR Codes for the clues
14. Write mysteries with hints based on units being studied
15. Review Round-up: Patty Kohler's round table review (http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-classroom-management/creative-ways-to-start-class-getting-students-ready-to-learn/) requires minimal teacher effort. "I have students get out a sheet of paper and write a list of numbers from one to ten. Then I instruct them to put one important idea from the previous lecture on the first line. The paper is passed to the person on the left. Each time the paper is passed, the person receiving the paper writes a different idea. After a few minutes I call time, and the papers go back to the original owner. This represents a collection of ideas for future review and study."

Resources:

• 20 Tips for Taking Attendance, Motivating Students, Rewarding Good Behavior, and More – from Education World ® (Source://__NEA.org__//) http://www.psea.org/teacher.aspx?id=5379
• Bell Ringer Exercises - http://www.edutopia.org/blog/bell-ringer-exercises-todd-finley?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=blog-bellringers-repost-bestof2013-trending
• Creative Ways to Start Class: Getting Students Ready to Learn By: Patty Kohler-Evans http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-classroom-management/creative-ways-to-start-class-getting-students-ready-to-learn/